Dan Skelton Saturday runners blog: 'Hopefully there's a big run on the cards'

Ladbrokes ambassador Dan Skelton has nine runners on Saturday, November 1 at Wetherby and Ascot. He previews them all in his latest blog.

WETHERBY

• Kadastral - 12.40 race odds

• Kateira - 1.50 race odds

• Take No Chances - 2.22 race odds

• Protektorat - 2.57 race odds

ASCOT

• L'Eau du Sud & Shakeyatailfeather - 2.05 race odds

• Ice In The Veins - 2.35 race odds

• Snipe - 3.45 race odds

• Hitintheheadlines - 4.20 race odds

WETHERBY

12.40 - Novices' Hurdle (Go North Night Nurse Series Qualifier) (GBB Race) - Kadastral

We start Saturday at Wetherby with Kadastral in a Novices' Hurdle, and we've done a lot of schooling with this horse who I think will improve a bit for the run. We've not specifically left him short or anything, but I do think he'll improve like the rest of the novices have been. He's a lovely horse, and while I do think he'll run well and go close, I've got a lot of respect for Olly [Murphy]'s Wilstar. Olly rates that one very, very highly, so we've got to respect that - and others in the race, too, because it's not a simple race at all; there are lots of winners in there.

1.50 - Mares' Hurdle (Listed Race) (GBB Race) - Kateira

Kateira is next for us in the Mares' Hurdle, and obviously it's going to be hard to beat Golden Ace. But this mare is in good form, and I feel like she's really come into herself these last two weeks. She carries good graded and listed form from the last two seasons and I think she'll run very well here. Like I say, it's going to be hard to beat Golden Ace, but hopefully we can be the ones to chase her home.

2.22 - Hurdle (Grade 2) (Registered As The West Yorkshire Hurdle) (GBB Race) - Take No Chances

We've then got Take No Chances in the three-mile hurdle; she won on the card here last year in the two-mile mares' hurdle. We're stepping up to three miles with her this year, and she's always been a horse that's gone well over a distance. She gets seven-pound mares' allowance obviously, but there's a couple of other good ones in here as you'd expect. We've got to see where we fit in with them, but I feel like she always gives her running, and she's already got a run under her belt - so that'll count for a bit. I could see her going very close, but at the same time we are taking on a clutch of very good stayers, so we've got a lot of respect for the field.

2.57 - Charlie Hall Chase (Grade 2) (GBB Race) - Protektorat

We've then got Protektorat in the Charlie Hall. Hopefully they get a little bit of rain overnight and the ground is on the easier side. He doesn't carry a Class 1 penalty, which obviously he has done for pretty much all of his life. He won a good race last year, but it actually wasn't a Class 1, strangely, so he doesn't get a penalty. That means he does get weight off a good few here, and taking everything into consideration, he's probably the one to beat. We've done plenty with him this autumn in preparation for this. With him being an older horse, we wanted to make sure he was ready. So hopefully there’s a big run on the cards.

ASCOT

2.05 - Grundon Waste Management Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) - L'Eau du Sud & Shakeyatailfeather 

Down at Ascot, we've got L'Eau du Sud in the big handicap two-mile chase, and Shakeyatailfeather is in there as well. The best scenario for us here is that we get a bit of rain so we can run L'Eau du Sud. I do need to see that rain; he carries forward some very good novice form from last year and Tristan [Durrell] rides him this weekend. He rides him a lot at home and he's taking three-pound off here which is obviously helpful as well. We've done plenty with him, and we're coming out of novice company now, so we need to make sure we're ready for that move. 

Shakeyatailfeather won up at Kelso earlier this month, and won well. Obviously this is a step up in grade, but it's worth a lot of money. She wouldn't want any rain, so we'll have a look at the forecast here. She hasn't got much weight, and I think that brings her into consideration a bit to be honest. Let's see what the weather forecast does for those two, though.

2.35 - Gl Events Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race) - Ice In The Veins

We've got Ice In The Veins in a Novices' Hurdle - I have to say I've been a bit disappointed after he bolted up in his bumper, but he isn't a simple horse to ride. He's a bit keen, but once he learns to settle, I think we'll find that we've got a much better horse on our hands. This is a big occasion for him at Ascot, and of course it's possible that it gets to him again. But we need to get him used to these things, so we're subjecting him to them in preparation for one day, where he will be ready for something a lot bigger. You have to work with him a bit, and like I say, we're trying to get it right, and it's just not easy. But when it does all come together for him, I think you'll find there's a fair engine there, like the bumper showed. 

3.45 - Sodexo Live! Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) - Snipe

Snipe turns out quickly having run up at Kelso last week. It's frustrating that the fences came out because of low sun, as that scuppered any chances he had there. He still ran OK, but I think you'll find he can run a lot better than that with the jumps in. He doesn't have much weight and I know it's a quick turnaround, but I don't feel like he had much of a race at Kelso last week. Of course, the travel time has to come into consideration; but he's an older horse now, and he can take these kind of things in his stride.

4.20 - Ascot Roundtable Open National Hunt Flat Race (Category 1 Elimination) (GBB Race) - Hitintheheadlines

Hitintheheadlines runs in the bumper and is a nice horse. He won a point-to-point and is showing up nicely at home. We'd want a bit of rain for him, but he's done well at home up to this point, and that should see him run well here. 

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